SAINT CLAIR FAMILY ESTATE EXCELLENCE

Pinot noir wins at International Wine Challenge

Saint Clair Family Estate is pleased to announce another major win at a leading international wine show. Once again it is the Saint Clair Pioneer Block 14 Doctor’s Creek Pinot Noir 2010 that has triumphed, this time receiving the highly acclaimed Red Marlborough Trophy at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) London.

The IWC hosted “A Taste of Gold” at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London yesterday for the third year running. The event showcased the high quality of gold medal-winning wines and sake awarded throughout the competition.

Neal Ibbotson, owner and director of Saint Clair, commends the entire Saint Clair team for their aspiration for excellence and is excited about the ongoing recognition in leading international wine competitions.

“The success is attributable to exceptional systems both in the vineyard and in the winery,” he says. “A superior wine is only achievable through a strong team approach that is focused on quality.”

All Saint Clair Family Estate wines are selected via a unique quality assessment system – a process that starts with open-minded quality viticulture and continues in the winery. The final wine is determined through a blind tasting process carried out by a winemaking panel.

Pioneer Block wines are made from outstanding small parcels of fruit, identified by Saint Clair’s winemakers from selected specialist vineyard sites in the Marlborough region. Over time, a number of sites have been identified that provide the ideal terroir to produce superior wines. Receiving this highly coveted award, along with the recent win of New Zealand Pinot Noir Over £10 trophy at last month’s Decanter World Wine Awards, demonstrates its world-class quality.

Winning the NZ Wine Producer of the Year trophy at the Sommelier Wine Awards adds to the list of UK trophies awarded to Saint Clair Family Estate during 2012, and further cements Saint Clair Family Estate’s reputation as being a leading New Zealand wine producer.